Cooper Farms Foundation partners with Junior Fair campaign

$30,000 gift will support new Swine Barn

GREENVILLE — One Americas leading food suppliers of delicious fully cooked and ready to cook turkey, ham and chicken products showed the Great Darke County Fairboard they are also very generous.

Dianne Cooper, family member and co-owner along with her two brothers of the 1938 company, shared a one- time gift of $30,000 from the Cooper Family Foundation to speed along the construction of the next building at the Darke County Fairgrounds, the new Swine Barn. “When we heard the news of the devastating fire back in October we knew we wanted to help. We are so excited for the Junior Fair kids and all that they will do in their 4-H and FFA programs in these new buildings”.

The gift takes the campaign over the $2.2 million dollar mark with a goal of at least $2.5 million by the end of the 2019 Great Darke County Fair. Over 125 individuals, businesses, foundations have supported the campaign to date with dozens of others with pending support.

“We are so fortunate that Cooper Farms believes so strongly in what we are doing at our Fairgrounds”, said Dean Neff, president of the Great Darke County Fair. The support for the hog barn (28,000 square feet), the Goat Barn (22,500 square feet) and the Dog Barn (15,800) has been fantastic,” said Brian Rismiller, secretary and fair manager.

Pledges can be made over a 5-year period and are 100 percent tax deductible. During the fair potential donors can visit the campaign booth to learn more about the campaign and the many giving opportunities. One of those opportunities will be to purchase a hog or goat pen for $300 or purchase four for $1,000. Each pen will carry the name of the donor and the gift of $1,000 can be pledged over five years.

This year’s fair begins Friday, Aug. 16 and will run for nine days and nine nights. For more information about this year’s 163rd fair, or to learn more about the campaign, email greatdarkecountyfair@gmail.com or call Brian Rismiller at 937-548-5044.